Memories Tend To Be Dreams Themselves[LEVI X READER X ERWIN]

#16: Liberation

"Come on, [Y/N]! Look! I found all of these pretty wild flowers for you!"

She woke up with a jolt.

Sitting up and massaging her bandaged temples, [Y/N] reached to her nightstand to take ahold of her glass of water.

She didn't remember what woke her up, but she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep for a while now.

The clock indicated 2 in the morning.

Suddenly, her stomach started making noise, and she realized just how hungry she really was. She hadn't eaten anything the day before, excepted for the tea and bread Armin had brought her.

"I should probably get up then..." she whispered to herself.

Careful not to make noise, she started walking down the hall in her night clothing, guided only by the moonlight. Tonight was a full moon, and its brilliance helped to see a little more easily in the narrow corridor.

Entering the kitchen, she went straight for the kettle, but was surprised to find it already hot. Who could have been making tea in the middle of the night?

Just before she could turn around, a raspy voice called to her.

"Oi, [Y/N]."

Recognizing it immediately, she found that he would be the most obvious answer.

She turned on her feet. Levi was sitting on the ground, back hunched against the wall, head down and teacup in hand.

He looked exhausted.

"Levi, hello."

"I haven't slept since we came back."

Shocked, [Y/N] just stood there for a minute, looking down at the man whom she admired. At that moment, she realized just how hard the whole thing had hit him.

She also knew that he would never willingly show weakness to anyone, so for him to be in that position was more than worrisome.

Taking in a breath, she sat down next to him, but not too close. She didn't want to invade his personal space.

"Levi, you're injured... You should be in bed," she said, in the best tone she could summon.

"So should you."

He still hadn't looked up to her. He kept fixing the ground, and [Y/N] suspected he'd recognized her just by the sound of her steps.

"I spent the whole day in my bed, but you haven't even laid down once, have you?"

"No."

There was a silence of several minutes. She didn't dare say anything, but she also didn't want to leave. It was obvious that he needed another human presence right now, and she knew that he wouldn't get up from there for hours if she left him alone.

Suddenly, he spoke up.

"Oluo told me you saved him."

"I did-"

"How?" he cut her off.

"I... I don't really know. I saw that he was about the get crushed, and my brain went empty. My legs jumped forward on their own, and I grabbed him. We're lucky I was quick enough... I don't know what would have happened if I reacted half a second later."

Levi sighed, finally looked up at her. "Thank you."

She didn't know what to say. She just stared, observing him. His grey eyes looked sincere, reserved, but most of all tired. His hair was a mess, and overall, he seemed far more vulnerable than the corporal she had grown to know.